Meet The Mississippi Baker Who Refuses To Discriminate

Person decorating cupcakes in a bakery window.

As a baker and small business owner, I meet all kinds of people. I am truly blessed to have a job where I get to wake up each day and make people happy. People come into my bakery looking for sweets to celebrate life’s most special moments. Since 1962, we have been baking up delicious…

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Pride Events Display Disparities In LGBTQ Community

A person taking a picture of confetti.

June is Pride Month for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities across the country—and parades abound. While we all rev up each June for Pride so, too, do the fault lines of race and class in the LGBTQ community. With advances such as hate crime laws, legalization of same-sex marriage across the country,…

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LGBTQI Methodists Already Know the Way Forward

A bride and groom are getting married in a greenhouse.

As an aspiring pastor in The United Methodist Church (The UMC) and a staff person at Reconciling Ministries Network, I spend a lot of time trying to explain my work to strangers, new friends, taxi drivers, and anyone else who might casually ask, “So, what do you do?” In these conversations, I spend most of…

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Catholics Do Not Support Religious Refusals

A priest is holding a cup in front of a painting.

A new survey reveals that a majority of Catholics oppose allowing small business owners in their state to refuse products or services to gay and lesbian people, if doing so violates their religious beliefs. The data from PRRI shows that 63% of Hispanic Catholics and 61% of White Catholics oppose refusals based on religious beliefs. When…

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I am Angry, & My Faith Tells Me I Can Do Something About It

A group of people holding up their fists at a protest.

I am very angry, and I am usually the consensus builder. The racial tension, violence, and the growing backlash to marriage equality and trans visibility makes the everyday life feels like a powder keg. There needs to be some kind of release from all the pain, anger, suffering and injustice.  This summer I reached the…

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The Body Of Christ Includes Bisexuals

A person's hand is raised in front of a church.

Shortly after coming out to my church, I began to notice just how many LGBTQ people our congregation had. While my time prior to deciding to come out had been full of nerves and worry, my time after was filled with new friends and role models. In particular were two couples, both made up of…

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Fired Lesbian Educator Sues New Jersey Catholic High School

A lesbian educator is suing a Catholic high school because earlier this year the school fired her for entering a same-gender marriage. In January, Kate Drumgoole was fired by Paramus Catholic High School, New Jersey, reported ABC 7, where she headed the guidance department and coached women’s basketball. She was a longtime employee and graduated…

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Growing In My Faith & My Marriage

Yellow chrysanthemums in a vase.

Who am I? I know the answer that is normally given would be; name, age, hometown, college, work, children, pets. Those answers are available, but before I list the things you can find out with a quick search I will define myself. I am a lover, free spirit, one who is easy to laugh, but…

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White LGBTQ Community: I Need Your Help Against Police Harassment

people protesting with banner of black lives matter

I am always worried to the point of nail-biting when my spouse leaves in the morning for Boston Medical Center if she’ll return home to me, because she’s always stopped by the Cambridge or Boston police. They don’t see Dr. Thea James. Her gender non-conforming appearance and driving a brand new BMW, that many cops…

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